1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a device for connecting a fiber optic cable to the fiber optic connection of an endoscope, in which an end section of the optical fiber is mounted as a bundle of fibers in a housing part and in which a coupling part is provided for the fastening with a positive fit of this housing part to the fiber optic connection on the endoscope side.
2. Description of the Related Art
The German Utility Model DE-U-1893615 describes a device, in which the connection is effected via a plug on the endoscope side and sleeve type receiving socket on the cable side. The receiving socket is provided with a wall slot and an inner circumferential groove in which there is guided a radially displaceable slide which is provided with an opening corresponding to the outer diameter of the plug. This slide engages into a groove provided on the plug and holds the plug and receiving socket together with a positive fit.
With such a fixation it cannot always be ensured that a play-free bearing of the two optical fiber end faces coming into contact with one another is achieved, and because of this a coupling of light from the fiber optic cable into the fiber optical cable connection of the endoscope with minimal losses cannot always be guaranteed. Moreover the cleaning of the fiber optic cable end arranged in the receiving socket is very difficult to carry out due to the sleeve type design.
Also, with such a device, any regrinding of the fiber optic cable end arranged in the receiving socket is almost impossible. Even if such regrinding were possible, this would lead to the distance between both those fiber optic cable ends coming into contact with one another becoming larger which would lead to considerable losses.
Devices of the companies Olympus and Storz are further known, with which screw connections are used for connecting fiber optic cables and endoscopes or endoscope optics. These devices have the disadvantage that a direct bearing of the bundle ends of the optical fibers which come into contact with one another cannot be guaranteed in every case. With these designs too there is the problem of cleaning the light exit surface, arranged within the screw connection, of the fiber optic cable, let alone for example being able to subsequently treat damage by grinding. Apart from this, such screw connections tend to jam when being applied and are thus comparatively difficult to handle. Due to the different individual hand forces, a defined clamping or pressure force cannot be achieved.